* On Jean-Louis Murat's album Mustango ( 1999 )

Despite the disarray of the Russian centre, Napoléon declined to follow up Murat's charge by advancing with the Guard.

Murat's arms combined the red lion of Berg with the arms of the duchy of Cleves.

However, with most of the other powers, particularly Britain, hostile towards him and dependent on the uncertain support of Austria, Murat's position became less and less secure.

In 1807 he participated in Joachim Murat's victory in a battle at Ostrolenka in Poland and fought with resolution and success at the Battle of Friedland.

Thus, Murat's skills in no small part helped establish Bonaparte's legendary fame and enhance his popularity with the French people.

On Napoleon's escape and return to France ( the Hundred Days ), he regained Murat's support, but Murat proved unable to convince the Italians to fight for Napoleon with his Proclamation of Rimini and was beaten and killed.

Murat's charge was so rapid that he burst inside Mustafa's tent and captured the Turkish commander, severing two of the Turk's fingers with his sabre.

Without waiting for Kleber, he approached Abukir with the divisions of Lannes, Desaix and Murat's cavalry, 10, 000 men and 1, 000 horsemen and the Turks gathered 18, 000 men, 8, 000 of whom were in a condition to fight.

In 1815, he and his brother Carlo accompanied their father, who had been identified with Murat's cause, into exile, and settled at Florence.

The struggle opened on September 5 when King Joachim Murat's French forces met Konovnitzyn's Russians in a massive cavalry clash, the Russians eventually retreating to the Kolorzkoi Cloister when their flank was threatened.

At this crucial juncture, Murat's chief of staff, General Augustin Daniel Belliard rode straight to the Emperor's Headquarters and, according to General Ségur who wrote an account of the campaign, told him that the Russian line had been breached, that the road to Mozhaysk, behind the Russian line, was visible through the gaping hole the French attack had pierced, that an enormous crowd of runaways and vehicles were hastily retreating, and that a final push would be enough to decide the fate of the Russian army and of the war.

Of all Napoleonic battles, this is considered to be the most uncertain and mysterious due to several reasons-mainly the strength of Murat's reserve cavalry, and which way the wind was blowing.

In part this was because, for the first time, Murat's men were now mounted on the best cavalry horses in Europe, freshly requisitioned in the aftermath of the conquest of Prussia.

" Of Klenau's force, Lieutenant Field Marshal Joseph, Baron von Mesko de Felsö-Kubiny's division of five infantry regiments was surrounded and captured by Murat's cavalry, which amounted to approximately 13, 000 men, and 15 colours.

Murat's pursuit was so effective, however, that only eleven squadrons joined Werneck at Heidenheim.

On the Prussian side, Brunswick was mortally wounded at Auerstedt, and over the next few days the remaining forces were unable to mount any serious resistance to Murat's ruthless cavalry pursuit.

Joachim Murat's parents intended he pursue a career in the church, and he was taught by the parish priest, after which he won a place at the College of Saint-Michel at Cahors when he was ten years old.

But as the Congress of Vienna progressed, Murat's position became less and less secure as there was growing support to restore Ferdinand to the throne.

The most vocal of all Murat's opponents was the United Kingdom, which had never recognised Murat's claim to the throne and moreover had been guarding Ferdinand in Sicily, ensuring he retained the Sicilian throne.

On the fall of Napoleon, he took part in Murat's campaign against Eugène de Beauharnais, and later in that against Austria, and was severely wounded at the battle of the Panaro ( 1815 ).

On 8 October 1805, Franz Auffenberg's division was cut to pieces by Joachim Murat's Cavalry Corps and Jean Lannes ' V Corps at the Battle of Wertingen.

In Henriette-Julie de Murat's Bearskin, the heroine has a fairy godmother, but she is offended that the heroine's marriage was arranged without consulting her, and refuses to assist.

He was also paid 5, 000 lira to teach Joachim Murat's daughters.

An uprising by the citizens of Madrid broke out on May 2, slew 150 French soldiers, and was violently stamped out by Marshal Murat's elite Guards and mameluk cavalry.

At sixteen he was taught Arabic calligraphy by Murat's personal scribe Mullah Mustevica, who praised his brightness and called him a " gifted child ".

With his centre almost broken, Napoléon resorted to ordering a massive charge by Murat's 11, 000-strong cavalry reserve — aside from the Guard, the last major unbloodied body of troops remaining to the French.

Somewhat obscured by the weather, Murat's squadrons charged through the Russian infantry around Eylau and then divided into two groups.

Gyulai's divisions also suffered serious losses when they were attacked by Murat's cavalry during a rainstorm.

In Tuscany meanwhile, Murat's two Guard Divisions also inexplicably retreated without being harassed in any way by Nugent.

Arriving in Florence on 20 April, they had reached their target of Foligno by 26 April and now threatened Murat's line of retreat.

In addition, to the south, Murat's Kingdom of Naples and Eugène de Beauharnais's Kingdom of Italy had a total of 100, 000 armed men.

The Italian republics were transformed into the Kingdom of Italy, under Napoleon's direct rule, in the north and the Kingdom of Naples in the south, under Joseph Bonaparte's rule and later under Marshal of the Empire Joachim Murat's rule.

He ordered Pyotr Bagration to command 600 troops to contain the French at Vienna, and instructed the Allied Army to accept Murat's ceasefire proposal so that the allied army could have more time to retreat.

Napoleon soon realized Murat's mistakes and ordered him to pursue quickly, however at that time the allied army had already retreated to Olmutz.

About only 53, 000 French troops-including Soult, Lannes and Murat's forces-would take possession of Austerlitz and the Olmutz road, occupying the enemy's attention.

Marshal Soult's IV Corps and Marshal Murat's cavalry were the first French formations to reach the plateau before Eylau at about 14: 00 on the 7th.

The first French forces to arrive were Murat's cavalry divisions – Klein's 1st Dragoons, Beaumont 3rd Dragoons, and Nansouty's cuirassiers.

Murat's forces joined Dupont at Albeck just in time to drive off an Austrian attack from Werneck ; together Murat and Dupont beat the Austrians to the north in the direction of Heidenheim.

The anchor and the batons came to the party due to Murat's positions as Grand Admiral and as Marshal of the Empire.

In 1809, one year after Murat's promotion from Grand Duke of Berg to King of Naples, Napoleon's young nephew, Prince Napoleon Louis Bonaparte ( 1804 – 1831, elder son of Napoleon's brother Louis Bonaparte, King of Holland ) became the Grand Duke of Berg ; French bureaucrats administered the territory in the name of the child.

Cavaignac filled various minor administrative offices under the Consulate and French Empire, and in 1806 became an official Joachim Murat's administration of the Kingdom of Naples.